


Black/Light

by AlexandreBear



Category: League of Legends
Genre: F/F, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2019-08-19 15:33:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16537322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexandreBear/pseuds/AlexandreBear
Summary: …This is why you should NOT join a music group with not just one, but TWO succubae. …And this is also how you fall for just one.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Author’s Note** | This story will be told from 5 different perspectives; the 4 members of K/DA and the narrator. The chapter will be split with a divider upon perspective shift and they will be marked as such.  
> ♥ - Ahri  
> ♦ - Akali  
> ♣ - Kai’Sa  
> ♠ - Evelynn  
> ♀ - Narrator

♦

“…Can someone say SOMETHING?” belted a harsh voice into the middle of the silent room. Evelynn rose from her recliner as she yelled, scanning the room to meet nothing more than our eyes glued to the floor of the hotel suite. Ahri’s ears hung low and dejected, Kai’Sa twiddled her thumbs absently and I…well, I couldn’t even bear to move a muscle. 

“Breaking news coming out of Korean girl group K/DA’s world tour, a terrible wardrobe malfunction has their devilish diva Evelynn walking out on stage…and halfway through her strut…THERE, her costume comes undone! Clips of the accident spread like Internet wildfire and have accumulated over 27 million views across all platforms. More at 11.”

We didn’t even finish the song, much less the concert. We gathered our personal shit in silence, drove back to the hotel in silence and we watched Eve pace and sit and pace and sit for hours…in silence. Basically, it was worse than hell. She refused to take off her shades, even indoors; no one had EVER seen Eve cry and that record wasn’t going to get broken today. Eve let her arms flop to her sides and motioned to what looked like sit down once more, but she stalled when her fingers reached the rose-stained leather. “Where…are my claws?” She whipped her head around the area and stamped her foot down in protest when she saw no hint of them. “Where. Are. My. Claws. LADIES?” Eve hissed, making sure to emphasize the last word, causing Ahri’s ears and tail to twitch. “I…I do not know.” Ahri managed to muscle out. Evelynn rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue as she turned away from our captain. “Of course you don’t, you were too busy making sure the whole world knew just how much bigger your TITS are than YOUR BRAIN.” Evelynn’s tails brushed to life and pointed dead center at my forehead and Kai’Sa’s. “And you two…how come the girl who can’t speak English fluently…ANSWERS FASTER THAN YOU DO?” Kai’Sa burst into tears right after this and Eve was taken aback just as quickly. “I’m s-s-sorry, eh-Eve, I d-didn’t know w-w-what to say…” she sputtered through the tears.

♠  
Don’t tell me I have anger issues. You’re not my therapist and I’m not paying for your two cents. “Oh…oh, god, Kai’Sa, love, please…” I pulled my Lashers back and kneeled down in front of my friend. She sobbed softly and I brought her close enough to rest her head on my shoulder. She apologized quietly through every gasping breath. “It’s okay, Bokkie, it’s okay…I…I may have misplaced them when we stepped in.” “Or…they got left behind at the venue in the rush?” Akali chimed in. I turned to her, nodding and smiling in agreement. “Yes, yes, that’s even more likely.” Kai’Sa sniffled a few more times as she looked up at me. “Are you s-sure you’re not mad at me?” I sighed, pulling the girl into an embrace. “I’m certain, Bokkie. I just…I’m tired and what happened today was the tipping point.” She nodded in understanding and curled into a pseudo-fetal position on the couch next to Ahri. 

I stood up, making a mental note to call a counselor for Kai’Sa; the girl has quite the backstory and she won’t open up to any of us. “경감, 여행 매니저와 우리 여행의 유럽 섹션에 관련된 모든 디자이너를 부르십시오. (Captain, call the tour manager and every fashion designer hired for the Europe leg of the tour.)” Ahri stood up and bowed in acknowledgement, rushing off with her manicured nails flying on her screen’s keyboard. “Bokkie, love, can you head off with Captain? She’ll need a translator.” The dancer rose and smiled at me, turning to Akali to do the same as she ran off out into the hall. “God, what did I do to deserve this?” I groan as I fall on the now empty couch, my Lashers fanning me slowly. “Nothing, of course, you just got unlucky, is all.” Akali says in an assured tone. I slowly remove my glasses and set them on the floor, wiping away a stray eyelash or two. “Hmm…you sound confident.” The rapper stood up from her stool and walked over to the couch, sitting next to me, legs spread slightly. “’Cause that’s just how I am, or at least…that’s how you said I should be.” I laugh at the girl’s honesty. “Well, it fits your image better than the soft and graceful approach Kai’Sa has or Captain’s fun and flirtatious nature.” Now, it’s Akali’s turn to laugh. “And I certainly could never pull off your style, Eve.” I raise an eyebrow. “What is my style, pray tell?”

♦  
I’ve…I’ve never been good with words. “…Hot?” I respond to her question. Her tails seize up and Eve clears her throat two or three times. “Akali, you’re a rapper, can’t you afford to be a bit more eloquent than this?” I turn a little red in the face, ashamed that she had to bring up my inadequacies. “Sorry, it’s been a long day, like ya said.” Eve clicks her tongue and looks away from me. “You don’t even get to say that, darling…” She’s genuinely upset and I…I hate it. Evelynn’s the composed, calculated member of the group and when she’s out of whack, Ahri doesn’t have a reliable second-in-command, Kai’Sa loses one of her two role models and I just…I feel so bad. I scoot towards her and rest my hand on her shoulder. “This’ll all blow over once you kill the Berlin show in a short…41 hours from now.” Eve smiles…somewhat and breathes out slowly. “We can only hope for the best.” One of her Lashers slithers its way around me, almost hugging me. (This is weird…) I thought to myself. Eve doesn’t look like she’s paying attention to me, idly dragging her bare finger on the carpet. (Then why is this th-ah!) I feel the Lasher tighten its “embrace” as Evelynn slides her remaining hand onto my thigh and turns to me. Why are her hands so cold, but yet…so warm? “…’Kali?” she whispers, her voice higher than normal. I can feel my composure melt as she calls my name… “Yeah, what’s up?” I try to say without making eye contact; this was in effort to hide my reddening cheeks. “What happened on stage was absolutely terrible…but…” Evelynn leaned in every time she paused, her hand slowly going higher and higher on my thigh, my shaking become more and more visible as she went. “B-but what?” Her free Lasher floated over to my chin and forced us to look at each other. “…Did you at least like what you saw?” 

…This is why you should NOT join a music group with not just one, but TWO succubae. …And this is also how you fall for just one.


	2. I'm In Love With A Monster

♥

It took me a while to rub the sleep from my eyes, much longer than normal. …I guess crying yourself to sleep will do that. What happened last night was a tragedy, one which will never occur so long as I lead this group. I called too many people and had to translate too many different languages (well…that was more so Kai’Sa’s job…) to be unheard or misunderstood. My eyes finally settled in a half-open position as a rose up in the bed. “…ahhh…모두는 어디 있습니까? (Where’s everyone else?)” I mused out loud, lazily searching the bedroom, my tails slowly waking up behind me. I swear, they have minds of their own. 

“Oh, Captain, you’re awake! Good morning!” yelled a voice too cheerful for this early in the morning from the bathroom. “아침, 보…(Morning, Bokkie…)”. Kai’Sa almost skipped out of the bathroom, music in every step. She was crying everyone in the group a river just hours ago and is now the poster child for teen exuberance. I chuckled under my breath and grabbed her attention by doing so. “Did I do something wrong?” she asked as she searched for something to wear. “물론 아니지 ... 네가 행복 할 때 네가 너무 화려 해. (Of course not…you’re just so pretty when you’re happy.)” I respond, admiring her resilience at such a young age. A very faint (yet noticeable) blush crosses Kai’Sa’s face as she throws her jacket’s hood over her head reactively. “Dankie, kaptein…” she murmurs in one of her many native tongues. “I’ll be heading out to the patisserie down the street; we’ll have some fresh croissants and croque-madames for breakfast!” “That is great, Kai’Sa, thank you.” I force myself to respond in English. (I really do have to get better at it if I want to keep up with the other girls…) She nods and slides into some fur boots, rushing out the door. I lean back onto the bedframe, a sigh of contemplation escaping my lips. (All right…) I wonder to myself. (How do I deal with Evelynn…)

♣  
(Let’s see…Evelynn doesn’t mind sweets, but she hates strawberry…Akali doesn’t like things that are too sweet and neither does Captain. I guess that means…blackberry jam!) I continued to ponder the logistics and aesthetics of our breakfast on my walk across the crowded streets of Paris. Hopefully, this will serve as a way for us to come back together before our Berlin show. …In all honesty, though, I have to admit to myself this trip outside was merely a means of distracting myself. All the girls, especially Evelynn, know how sensitive my emotional state is and how quickly I can get set off. I understand just how angry a person can get and trust me, Evelynn was completely justified in her rage yesterday evening…I just shouldn’t have been the receiving end of it, is all. I sighed deeply, quickening my pace. “Anyways…” I continued out loud this time around, the area in this arrondissement (Evelynn taught me that word…) having cleared out quickly. “Sourdough may be too hard for this, but brioche is too buttery for Ahri’s t-ouch!” I collided with a person…or a wall? I couldn’t really tell. It felt kind of rough. 

I looked up after shaking my head. A tired-looking girl stood before me, an apology almost dripping from inside her closed lips. She had on a pizza delivery uniform; I can only assume she’s coming in to prepare for the lunch rush. She had dark olive skin and piercing blue eyes…like an oasis in the desert. “…Surprisingly, that is the first time anyone has described my eyes like that.” She giggled under her breath and I stood there, mortified. “I…I really can’t believe I just said that out loud.” I facepalmed and began laughing with her, the scene devolving into an awkward laughing contest. After we had mutually collected ourselves, she placed her hand on my shoulder and smiled at me. “First things first, the name’s Sivir.” “A pleasure~” I respond. “Second things second, I’m so sorry for bumping into you and causing this…this…” “Awkward spiral of confused comedy?” Sivir chuckles and leans upright. “That’s a great way to explain it.” “I’m Kai’Sa, by the way, it’s nice to know the woman behind the eyes.” The uniformed girl smiled softly and then slowly, her expression melted into confusion and then quickly reformed into shock. “You’re Kai’Sa! Like…THE Kai’Sa!” I held up my hands and tried to calm her down; thankfully, she got the message. “…Yes, yeah, Kai’Sa from K/DA.” I whispered as she led me into the door (which I don’t have time for!) Her mouth hung agape as soon as she shut the door. “…This is infinitely amazing, you don’t even get it, you’re the best dancer I’ve ever seen!” Sivir praised. I shook my head. “No, seriously! Although, I feel infinitely more worse for bumping into a superstar…” “It’s all right, Sivir, I swear.” I reach out to grab her shoulder in a similar way, but she grasps my hand in both of her own. “Is there anything I can do to apologize…besides saying sorry?” This girl is incessant! “Uh…I…” 

And then it hit me…like a set of claws to the face. “Do you do catering?”

♦  
Why…me…gods? “Ok, yes, I know that I’m not straight, but like…I didn’t think…” “You didn’t you were THAT not straight?” responds a monotone voice. “Shen, you don’t have to be a dick about it…I called you for advice.” I murmur. “Akali, what you’re telling me is that K/DA Evelynn felt you up last night after nearly having a mental breakdown and your problem with the situation is that you like her?” Shen states matter-of-factly. “…You never fail to make me feel stupid.” “The universe will thank me later.” Shen is one of my old assistant professors…and also my ex-boyfriend. We traveled completely different paths after I graduated and it just didn’t work out because of it. He’s not terrible, but he’s a bit too harsh to fill the role of romantic partner. “But, but, what if she’s just playing me?!” “Then you’re friends with benefits.” “But, what if she wants more?!” “Then you become more than that if you feel comfortable with doing so.” “But, what if s-“ “…” (Did…did he just hang up on me…?) I throw my phone onto the bed and flop on top of it, groaning my most exasperated groan. 

“Akali, are you ok?” a soft voice echoes from the hall. “Yeah, I’m ok, Captain, thanks.” “All right, Kai’Sa says breakfast will be ready soon.” “I’ll be there!” I yell as her footsteps depart downstairs. I flip over and sit up on the edge of the bed, feet just about to touch the floor. (Well, better get ready, Kai’Sa would be hurt if I didn’t show up for her famous cooking!) I tried to stand up…but, for some reason…I didn’t want to leave the bed. “Evelynn…you can drop the invisible act…I know you’re here.” An evil chuckle fills the air as she appears next to me, clutching my shoulders with her recently re-clawed fingers and humming softly. “Missed me…?” I sighed, grabbing her wrists and pushing her hands back on to her lap. As I prepared to walk away, her Lashers circled around me, pulling me back. I stare at her, annoyed. “…What do you need, Evelynn?” The confidence fades from her face as he removes her shades. “Why are you upset?” she inquired genuinely. “I’m not upset, Eve, I’m…confused.” “Well…why?” “YOU! You confuse me!” I say, a little louder than I expected. “You should be angry and depressed right now, you’re the laughingstock of the Internet! And yet, you’re…you’re….” I faded out as a sat back down. 

“Rebounding.” Evelynn calmly whispered. “To explain myself, I’m just rebounding…is that ok?” …I shouldn’t give into her…she can take care of herself…I’m better than this… “See me after the concert, Evelynn…then we’ll talk.” I exit the room and as I’m about to turn the corner to the stairs, a Lasher grabs my wrist. “Trust me…I’ll get you to talk, ‘Kali…~”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to tell me how y'all think the story's going thus far and where you think it ought to go!


	3. Soy Tu Veneno

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Hey, guys, it’s Bear and thank you all for such positive reviews! Glad to know you’re liking the story so far; it’ll only get better, promise. Just wanted to say, if you ever wanna play some League together, my name’s Illôgibear and I’m a P5 support main! I’ll get you my Discord, then, too!]

♠  
I have a bad habit of biting my thumb during moments of stress. I felt the tiniest prick of blood trickle onto my tongue as Akali walked away, gently unraveling my Lasher from her arm. (Oh, mi amor…the things I would do to you…) I thought longingly to myslelf. Something I learned quite recently is that my dear Rogue has quite the penchant for Spanish. Not one of my strongest languages, but, I have spent enough time in Barcelona to have just the right collection of vocabulary. 

Besides, I would do almost anything to have her as my own. Years of parkour and dancing have left her figure model-like…no, statuesque in its form. Her body is so athletic and fit, every step flexing a muscle from the heel of her foot to her gorgeous thighs, up to that fabulous ass and resting right around her defined abdominals. I could spend an eternity outlining those curves, tracing my claws down and around that supple skin…and through…and…wait, too deep!

I began coughing as my mouth filled with the taste of iron and the sounds of pots and pans filled the air. (Seems like Kai’Sa is just about done...) I quickly slid to the bathroom where I fixed my hair and bandaged my finger. A sigh escaped my lips as I stared back at the reflection-less mirror. 

“Oh, Evelynn…you really do still have it~” 

♦

“A’ight, we’ve confirmed it. Bokkie? You’re the best cook the world has ever seen; HANDS. DOWN.” I said, after slamming my fork on the table, free of its bite of breakfast. Kai’Sa giggled loudly as she threw the dishes into the washer. “Akali, it’s literally just a sandwich, nothing too special about that.” 

Ahri rose from her seat, sandwich in one hand and the other gesturing dramatically. “소나는 그냥 DJ인가요? Jhin과 Taric은 패션 전문가일까요? 보키, 당신의 기술에 자부심을 가져라. (Is Sona just a DJ? Are Jhin and Taric just fashionistas? Bokkie, take pride in your talent.)” Evelynn leaned back in her chair, her Lashers keeping her just on the edge of falling as she clapped. “Well said, Captain, well said!” I joined in the applause and Kai’Sa soon followed. Ahri took several bows as she returned to seat, the extravagance of the entire scene bringing a tear to her eye as she laughed. \

“Heheh, oh, wow, now that was funny~” Kai’Sa said through chuckles, finally joining us at the table. Evelynn wiped a faux tear from her eye. “Captain, do you have any plans for today besides being the greatest comedic actor of our generation?” Ahri rolled her eyes as she stopped to think. “Well…I have to go shopping again…” “Again?” I interject. “Captain, we just got off the Champs-Elysees like…less than 48 hours ago…and we were there for 3 hours!”

She dismisses me with a flick of her closest tail. “A girl can never have enough perfume, Akali.” “I’m inclined to agree~” Evelynn added with a smile. “I think I ought to be your entourage for this trip, Ahri. I know some boutiques that will absolutely blow your mind.” Ahri hugs her tails and hides her face behind them. “왜 나 한테서 부티크에서 나를 죽이고 싶니? (Why would you take me to a boutique just to kill me?)” 

Evelynn couldn’t have looked more perplexed in that moment if she tried. “What? No, I…OH! Hahaha, Captain! Blow your mind is a surprise! Blow your brains out is to kill someone.” I chuckle openly as Kai’Sa tries to repress a laugh. “Oh…okay! I am ready to be surprised, then!” I smile as the 3 other girls began to talk amongst themselves about blouses and skirts and seasonal makeup. 

(Where would I be without these guys?)

♀

A delayed delivery girl flies by a stop sign on her moped. She has places to be and people to provide their order to and to make matters even worse, she might actually break the company promise of “all our orders in less than an hour, NO MATTER WHAT!” If this promise is broken, the pay comes out of the driver’s check and Sivir literally could not afford that. 

This particular trip was an order for a birthday sleepover (she could tell because of the multiple teenage girls yelling over each other about whether or not pineapple belonged on pizza) and it came to a whopping $157.61. “I am currently carrying half my rent money in food right now and if I mess up here- EY, WATCH IT, ASSHOLE…if I mess up here, I’m screwed.” She checked her watch for the ninth time this trip. She has 4 minutes left. The address is 7 minutes away. 

(Welp…) Sivir thought to herself. (Time to kick it into high gear.) Sivir grabbed on tight to the handles of her moped and slowly came to a halt. She took a deep breath as she clutched a cross-shaped amulet around her neck. Saying a short prayer in a dialect of Shuriman, a language belonging to the ancients, Sivir’s eyes glowed a bright blue as she revved her vehicle and sped twice or even three times as fast as she had been going. 

Buildings went by in neon blurs and her body felt like it was flying. (Heh…nothing beats this.) The smell of burning tires fills the residential street as Sivir comes to a screeching halt in front of the opulent house. Climbing up the cobblestone path with 8 cardboard boxes and 3 aluminum tins, Sivir rings the doorbell with her foot. With 36 seconds to spare. (Nailed it.)

As Sivir descends from the house atop the hill, payment and a hefty 22% tip pocketed, she hummed a familiar melody and smiled. “This is awesome, I’ll get to eat something other than Nutella on bread for a couple days!” Sivir plopped down onto her moped and started it up, only to find she wasn’t moving. “What the hell is wrong with this piece of j-“ 

Sivir choked on her own word as she marveled at the trail of melted rubber behind her. She wasn’t going anywhere soon. Unless…

“Hey, is this Kai’Sa?” “…I’m doing really good, actually.” “…Oh, really? That’s awesome…would you mind making a quick detour, though?” 

 

♣  
“There, on the curb…you see her?” I pointed out Sivir to our bus driver as I quickly grabbed my coat. “Good gods, Bokkie, she almost melted the street…” Evelynn stared out the window in awe along with Akali, mouth hung agape at the disaster. Rushing out into the cold, I wave as I approach her.  
“Sivir, hey!” She looks up at me and smiles widely, meeting me halfway in a hug. “Thank gods you’re here, I had no idea how I was going to get home!” (No, actually, thank gods it’s cold out here, I can’t have the girls making fun of me for blushing…) I thought to myself, a weird sense of relief and happiness washing over me. “Well, I’m glad to help you out, love, but…” “But what? I-I can pay if that’s the issue!” Sivir says quite pleadingly. I snicker, knowing full well she can’t afford anything on or in that tour bus. “No, no, that’s not it, it’s that if we turn around again, we’re going to be late to the rehearsal in Berlin.” Sivir’s expression drops significantly as she begins panicking. “Oh my gods, I-I could never set you guys behind, b-but h-how am I gonna get home. I-I have work in the morning a-and-“ 

I put a finger to her lips to silence the rambling. “How about we do you a favor, hm?” 

-(O)- 

“So, lemme get this straight…you’re a college drop-out trying to make a living as a jeweler in Paris…you sold your last remaining pieces to pay off the debts and moved here with whatever you could scramble together and today, managed to wreck ONLY the tires of your moped in a SPECTACULAR fashion, prompting you to call up the superstar you met outside of your pizza shop……?” Akali states slowly. Sivir nods affirmatively. “…Damn, that’s kinda dope, not gonna lie.” 

Akali leans back in her seat as the rest of us lean closer to talk to Sivir. “And for me to get this straight, I’m going to quit my job?” “Mhm.” Evelynn hums. “You’re gonna house me for the rest of your tour?” “Yep.” I say, smiling. “And you’re gonna introduce me to Jhin and Taric to see if they’ll sponsor my work?” Ahri nods. “They will be more than happy to meet with you, I’m certain.” “Those two love a rags to riches story~” Evelynn chimes in, prompting a chuckle from Ahri and a concerned look from Sivir. 

“What’s the matter, love, did we miss something?” I ask, now extremely worried. “…This is all too good to be true…why would you do this for me? Wh-What do you gain?” Me and the girls trade looks with each other, then all turn back to Sivir. “Because we always help a sister in need.” “Because we have nothing to lose.” “Because you are worth just as much as we are.” “…Because everyone deserves a second chance.” 

She began to cry. Those beautiful, blue eyes watered as Sivir took off her hat and broke down, releasing what I could only assume to be years of bundled emotion, trauma and stress. I immediately rushed over to her, pulling her into a tight embrace with Ahri and Akali following suit. “T-Th-thank you a-all…” Ahri and Akali comforted her with words of encouragement and love as I reached down and clasped her hand in mine.

“No…thank you, Sivir.”


	4. Chef-d'œuvre Inconnu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaaaaaaaaaaaa, I'm BACK! Don't ask why this took so long, the last six months are a blur. Enjoy! I missed you all!

■

“Too low…” My head hung low as I massaged my temples. I felt my hand tighten around the arm of my chair, the heat of my breath hitting my lap as I muttered. The young girl in front of me visibly tensed as she made small and slight adjustments to the piece on the mannequin. She was gorgeous, in a somewhat plain aesthetic; the farm-land beauty. Smooth, alabaster skin, clearly Demacian in origin. Stress lines plagued her face, but her cheekbones gave her a sense of refinement. Mauve lips and those eyes… teal? No… aquamarine. Turquoise? Ah, yes, peacock. Peacock-colored eyes. If I weren’t already committed to the most perfect muse this world has to offer… I would slice her body into pieces like a delicate chiffon cake. Strawberry filling. “Um… is t-there a problem, Mr. Jhin?” the young seamstress stuttered quietly, her eyes glued to the floor as she turned to face me. “THE HEM IS TOO LOW, YOU WITLESS CLOD!” 

I bolted up from my velvet chaise and stormed over to the stage. My voice made her jump back in fear and she stumbled on the base of the mannequin stand, falling most unbecomingly onto the cold linoleum with a whine. “The dress is a sundress, prêt-à-porter, any woman should be able to function during an outing while wearing it, however!” I grabbed the fabric from the mannequin’s chest and tilted it down to the cowering girl. “The looseness of the hemline requires at least a mid-size C cup to grant the illusion of figure which it was designed in mind with!” I rolled the dress in between my fingers, scowling at the texture. “A polyester blend…? On m-my… mannequin?” I let go of the dress gently, gravity taking the entire model down into the girl’s torso, taking her breath with it. “Do you have any IDEA the quality of product we are supposed to release consistently in this house?” I say, crouching down into a squat as I hold her gaze. She shivers visibly every time I emphasize a word, her hand looking for something solid to grab onto; no mercy from the tiles, it seems. “Y-yes, s-“ “CLEARLY NOT IF YOU’RE WILLING TO DISGRACE MY NAME WITH THIS… THIS-!” “Khada.” 

A mellow, yet bass-heavy voice echoed into the theatre, causing me to flinch. …I don’t enjoy flinching. The girl stood up almost immediately, brushing herself off frantically as a wide smile of relief appeared on her face. “Taric, hello!” I snap my head back at the foolish girl. “He is Mr. Cherland to you and nothing else, understood?” Her smile of relief went just as quickly as it came. “Natalie, you may go. I will call you in later for a discussion on your piece.” As… Natalie exited the theatre, I began to examine my muse; a simple up and down scan that I had done so many times before. His cadence of speech fit perfectly in time with each step, powerful yet precise. So calm and yet… so rigid. A cascade of hair, dark brown and silky, was held up and back by a series of pins, one ultramarine sapphire in the center of them all. Abnormally tall and ridiculously muscular, he seemed better fit to be a wrestler than a fashion designer. That baby blue dress shirt was ready to burst at the seams, his biceps barely contained by the cloth. And none of the blues he was wearing or had ever worn could compare to the intense navy of his eyes. One stare and you were lost in the endless expanse of space. …In essence, he is beauty incarnate. “Wake up, Khada.” A firm hand clapped down onto my shoulder, pulling me out from my own mind. 

‡

He so rarely flinches. Something is getting to him, something a lot more urgent than our new associate designer. “She started four days ago, Khada. Give the poor girl a chance, will you?” I say, my hand moving up to frame the side of his face. “…I suppose I might have been… a touch too hasty.” A light blush crosses his tan skin and I smile in response. Khada Jhin is a perfectionist in every sense of the word and you can see it in his physical appearance as well. Warm, caramel skin with piercing, black eyes and equally dark hair melodramatically swept to one side added onto a thin, yet very defined face gave him the appearance of a foreign movie star. He had one spider bite piercing on either side of his face, adding even more symmetry to his facial structure. Fittingly enough, there were only 4 things that were not stereotypically beautiful about him. 

A patch of stark white trailed through the front of his hair and provided an air of eccentricity (which he didn’t need any help with). Secondly, a large portion of his face was marred with burn scars. They weren’t deep enough to require reconstructive surgery of any kind, but they left discoloration that would never fade. Nine times out of ten, Khada would be in a decorative mask or wrap. Third, he lost his right leg in the same accident which burnt his face. A golden prosthetic filled the negative space and made him look horribly expensive. And finally, he was tall… very tall. Almost as tall as me and I’m the tallest person I’ve ever met. A height of 6’6 for a person as toned as Khada made him look somewhat underweight, but he certainly loves to indulge in the finer things in life, especially good cuisine. “I’m just… ugh, I don’t know…” Jhin took a dramatic sigh as he sat down on the stage, leaning back in mock anguish. “How will I ever meet the demands of this year’s collections?” “The same way we do every year, my love.” I reply confidently. “Displaying the art that we know we are capable of creating.” I pull his cardigan closed around him and clasp his hands in mine, smiling absently at the ground. 

“Have you been having those dreams again, Khada?” He tenses in my grip to which I respond my tightening my hands. “What gave it away, if I may ask?” I chuckle. “You have a coffee stain on your cravat.” He looks down and makes a noise of partial shock and disgust, rubbing his temples. “I needed the extra boost… I’m sorry for not telling you, Taric.” I pull Khada into a hug, gently stroking the back of his neck (something I found out which really calms him down). “Once the spring collection rolls out, we can take a nice month off, maybe even 2. We’ll visit Karma and have some legitimate sushi and tea.” He laughs a little at the prospect. “A welcome change, to be sure.” he says softly, his eyes visibly drooping. Right as Jhin was about to nod off on my shoulder, his phone rings, a loud and upbeat pop melody blaring. He pushed himself off of me and we shared a look of concern. “What could they possibly need?” 

‡

“Jhin, darling, you actually picked up your cell? Today must be my lucky day.” The snide comment got a quiet snicker from Taric as I rolled my eyes. “Evelynn, it is always too soon. What do you want?” “EVERYONE! Jhin and Taric are on the phone! Say hi~” A flurry of Korean and English greetings flooded the speakerphone almost instantaneously, causing me to hold my phone farther away from my ears. “Yes, yes, hello, K/DA, we love you too. Again, what do you need?” Shuffling was audible as they decided who was going to get to say whatever news it was they wanted to deliver. “We have a new protégé for Taric!” Kai’Sa’s chipper accent finally responded. Taric raised an eyebrow, smirking as he motioned for the phone. “And, who might this new protégé be exactly?” Another round of shuffling. “Um, h-hi, hello, Mr. Jhin and Mr. Ch-Cherland, I am Si-Sivir.” 

I lowered the phone and covered it with my scarf, looking back at Jhin. “The girl sounds like she’s being held at gunpoint!” I whispered, earning a stifled chuckle from Jhin. “Hello, Sivir, was it? Taric, but I assume you already knew that.” “Yes, I did! Your work on Luxanna’s ELEMENT tour was incredible, I’ve never seen anything like it!” “Why, thank you, my dear, but Jhin is just as much to thank for the Elementalist line.” Jhin takes a small bow and blows a kiss my way in return for the compliment. “Of course, of course, my apologies!” K/DA were whispering aggressively in the back saying things like “Tell him about the stuff!” and “You got this, chica!” “Ok, so…” Sivir begins with a deep breath. “I design jewelry, mostly necklaces and these lovely ladies think you might be able to sponsor my work.” A jeweler? I look up from the phone at Khada, a puzzled look on his face as he beckons for the phone. “An interesting proposition, certainly, but we don’t use any commonplace accessories on the runway, Ms. Sivir.” “I’m aware of that, of course, you’ll f-find I’m no ordinary designer either.” “Oh?” Jhin says, the faintest hint of a smirk crossing his face. “I work exclusively with Shuriman gold.” Sivir says curtly. 

Jhin’s eyes go wide as he covers the phone. “What is it?” I say, confused?” “Half of my new preliminary designs call for Shuriman gold accenting, that’s what.” I smile. “Then I suppose you have your accent-maker, no?” He places his hand under his chin as he makes a thinking noise, a devilish grin slowly taking over the smirk. “Sivir, my dear?” The girls simultaneously gasp as they scramble to return to the phone. “Y-yes, Mr. Jhin?” “How long have you been working with Shuriman gold?” “My entire career, sir, so about 8 years now.” Sivir responds, her confidence growing the longer she talks about her craft. “I see… and do you work on detailing and accenting, as well?” “Like cufflinks or buttons, maybe?” “Precisely, but beyond that as well.” Jhin began pacing as he spoke, indicating he was envisioning these new pieces already. “O-of course, that would be easy enough!” “If you can bring a small selection of example pieces to our studio in Milan and we sign off of them…” Jhin pauses, turning to look at me for affirmation. I respond with an okay sign and a wide smile. “We will certainly sponsor your work during our 2019 collections.” The other end of the line is filled with cheers and shouts as the pop stars congratulate Sivir on her newfound opportunity. During all the screaming, Kai’Sa manages to pick up the phone! “Merci beaucoup, mes amis! On se voit tous les deux à Milan!” “De rien, ma petite danceuse.” Their celebratory noise ends abruptly when Jhin ends the call, stuffing the phone back into his slacks. “Oh, gods, Taric, what have I just done?” “I’m not sure, but you just made our favorite models very happy, so I’m counting it as a win.” We share a short laugh as Khada stands, brushing himself off. “Well, I believe that is enough excitement for one day…” Jhin pulls out his phone and dials an extension, his personal assistant on the other end. “Yeah?” “Xayah, cancel the rest of my appointments, I have to retire early.” A click of her tongue and the solid clacks of her nails against her phone screen confirm the task at hand. “Done. Anything else?” “No, you may have the rest of the day off, as well. Take Rakan with you, too.” I gasp in faux horror. “You can’t tell MY assistant to leave early, Khada.” “Already gone, peace out, Taric!” The call ends and I snort loudly at Xayah’s impetuousness. “Perfect for one another…” I say under my breath. Jhin shrugs as he scrolls through his various social media feeds. “They are fairly attractive, apart and together.” he muses. “No, I meant you and Xayah.” I say, strolling past him and out the theatre’s main doors. “Oh, you are cruel.” “Diamond cuts everything, my love. Diamond cuts everything.”


End file.
